Cover the weeds up to keep out the light and the annuals will die. You will have warmer soil too and less wind erosion. Use cardboard, plastic sheeting, old carpets or anything else suitable you have to hand.

hi, i m living in south east ireland and have 'out of season' surprises in the garden , but the most delightful are the clump of pink and cream nicotiania flower heads bobbing around in the breeze, and have been since late summer .

Daffs out in Dorset, as well as hellebores and spring-flowered Cyclamen coum - and the usual mix of winter shrubs. We've also got the odd rose in bloom, together with Abutilon 'Suntense' and Salvia guaranitica, thanks to only one slightly dip below freezing a couple of weeks before Christmas. Oddly there is no sign of snowdrops yet!

Yes, I have noticed the snowdrops are keeping to their usual schedule - just a few peeping up here and there and I have thousands But the selfseeded annuals like Limanthes douglasii (poached egg plant) are well away. see photo taken on New Years Day.

I too have a number of plants in flower; however, my neighbour says, for instance the fuschia and geraniums should be cut down so that they can gather strength during the winter months to flower in readiness for their season.

Is this so? Or should we let nature take its course. Although I've actually cut some back and left some flowering to see what happens and fleeced those that are delicate.

I like most people have a garden which doesn't know where it should be, i had a rhodi flower in november for the second time, my snapdragons are on the third flowering and i have a self set of lobelia in a tub with a magnolia tree which has been in bloom since mid may and still going and its JANUARY!!!!

Here in Chester, I have roses, primulas, pentemon, valerian, helebores, osteospernum all in flower, some of last summer's annuals are still hanging on and my opium poppies are starting to show their leaves. My beautiful red geraniums from last summer are still looking fabulous and are in bud, but I have put them on to the doorstep for some extra shelter as my leanto greanhouse is full.

On a trip to see my Auntie in north Wales today all the snowdrops were in flower, but no sign of them in my garden yet

Explore some of Ireland's most breathtaking gardens on an exclusive four-night tour. Special guest Monty Don will join you for a garden tour and give an entertaining evening talk on his gardening life. Flights, four-star hotel, breakfast and four additional meals included, prices start from £2,265 per person.